I found out my girlfriend is about 10 weeks pregnant, she smokes about a half a pack a day. I tell her she needs to quit! And she says its hard, from what I can tell from research, smoking causes premature birth, cleft lip, and misscarriages I believe. I am no expert in this, and could really use some advice. I told her today that I will buy her the patch next week, and she said she will try it. But, today I'm doing research on the patch and being pregnant, and that looks more dangerous than smoking? PLEASE HELP!! Any info will help, any suggestions. My biggest nightmare would be to have a child with a birth defect when it could have been prevented. Thanks. Birk

Have her discuss her smoking with her doctor. He/she will be able to tell her what is and isn't safe in her condition. I agree she shouldn't be smoking while pregnant. Try to be really encouraging to her while she is quitting. See if the doctor can recommend a smoking cessation program, which many hospitals have. They provide education about the effects of smoking and offer support groups and tips to help stay nicotine-free.

Discuss the patch or any stop smoking aid, like the gum, with her doctor first. Better safe than sorry. While she is quitting, she might be a little irritable. That's normal. I quit and it was horrible for a few weeks, but it gets better. What helped me was to chew lots of gum and hard candies and to stay as busy as possible. I also had a "quitting buddy" who I would call if I felt like I was going to smoke. Maybe you could be your wife's "buddy" like that. Another thing I did was to reward myself every week I didn't smoke. I would get myself a little something I had been wanting with the money I would have spend on cigarettes.

Definitely take her to see the doctor about it, he will not only inform her (and you, if you go with her) about all the risks, but will also have the best advice on how to make quitting easier.